Monday Morning Cheerleader: The New York Jets' Nicole and Tiffany

Sickened from hearing about the Jets quarterback "controversy" for weeks upon weeks, the Niners actually gave us a legitimate one to talk about. After quarterback Colin Kaepernick dominated during Alex Smith's concussed absence, Coach Jim Harbaugh made the decision to give his new signal caller (one that provides a read-option threat) another shot, which resulted in a Week 12, 31-21 win over the Saints. Jay Cutler returned to the field this week to bring his team a touchdown, a taunting call, and a 28-10 victory over the Vikings. Peyton Manning continued to play like a Manning, while the Giants and his brother Eli continued to follow their pattern from last year — start-out-hot, mid-season-slump, then-surprise-fans-and-end-up-in-the-Super-Bowl — with a big 38-10 win over the Packers in MetLife Stadium. Here to explain what happened in the Jets' Thanksgiving loss are not one, but two women from the Jets Flight Crew, Tiffany and Nicole. After all, it is the season of giving, and we can't count on Fireman Ed to spell it out for us anymore.

TIFFANY (of the Jets): This is the third year I've spent at MetLife Stadium on Thanksgiving, and the tailgaters go all-out. They even bring deep fryers to roast their turkey. We had a full stadium, so I'm thankful I got to share the day with all the fans — even the ones wearing their turkey hats and green sombreros.

More From Esquire

NICOLE (of the Jets): We actually had a full-on Thanksgiving feast prior to the game. One of the girls on the team organized it, and we all pitched in and had a family-style dinner. After all, we are each other's second family.

LM: You guys were able to put on the little uniforms and jump around after that? That's true talent.

NICOLE: The only difference is we can't go lie down and take a nap like everyone else. We have to be in the zone. There's a certain amount of time we have to make it to the tunnel. We've been doing this for years, so we're used to it.

LM: Knowing that you would be dancing for Lenny Kravitz must have been a little motivating.

NICOLE: We got to practice with Lenny last night, and he was all about business, of course. He wanted to make sure everything was perfect, so we got to dance to his biggest hits a bunch of times and feel really comfortable about it for the big performance.

LM: Do you like his new song, "Like a Jet" (written for the team), better than the Patriots' new Aerosmith song?

TIFFANY & NICOLE (in unison):Obviously, we like the Jets song much better.

TIFFANY: I guess the rock stars just like to get involved with their favorite teams. The two worlds colliding is fun.

LM: With those loyalties, I doubt Aerosmith and Kravitz will be teaming up anytime soon. Why has this division rivalry heated up in the last few years?

NICOLE: Ever since Rex Ryan got here, he's never been shy about giving his opinion on anything. So that's probably what started this all to begin with.

LM: How serious is this rivalry? Would you guys ever draft, say, Tom Brady or Wes Welker for your fantasy team?

NICOLE: A lot of us actually have fantasy teams, and I do have Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez on my roster. But it is really painful for me to play them. The Pats aren't exactly our favorite team in the league, but they do always make for an exciting game.

LM: I realize it was a short week for the team, but why didn't we see that type of excitement tonight?

NICOLE: The start of the game looked good, and then we just got a little lost. But I was still hopeful in the third quarter. I kept thinking that we still had a lot of time left, and that three touchdowns in two quarters was doable. I was really hoping to see a game like we had in 2009, my rookie season, when we opened up against the Patriots and won, but you can't win them all.

LM: Were the fans as optimistic as you were throughout the game?

NICOLE: They were actually pretty supportive. They cheered when we got our touchdowns and seemed to still be on board in the second half. But the fans always have something to say, because they want to get back to the Super Bowl after all of these years, and they're frustrated. The offense is still young, with a lot of new receivers starting right now.

LM: Tony Sparano should have converted Tim Tebow to an H-back or tight end, since he's athletic and can block. It just doesn't seem smart to take your starting quarterback out of rhythm all the time, to throw Tebow in.

NICOLE: I just think the team should work on more creative plays with Tebow. Maybe not quarterback, maybe as a fullback. They need to switch things up a bit. That way these other defenses won't know what to expect. Right now, everyone knows he's going to run when they put him in. Mark Sanchez is very talented at quarterback. He got us to the AFC Championship game two years in a row, and people forget that he did that his first two seasons in the NFL. There is a way that the team can use Tebow, since he's a great athlete. They just haven't figured it out yet. Plus, it's his first season with the team, so they will eventually get it right.

LM: How tough of a job is it being the quarterback for a team with such passionate and outspoken fans?

NICOLE: It's a tough job! Sanchez lost several offensive weapons, and he's done an excellent job as a leader trying to pick up the pieces and work with these new starters.

LM: With little protection and minimal time to go through his QB progression. Speaking of leaders, does Fireman Ed ever miss a game?

TIFFANY: He doesn't really come around in the preseason too much, but other than that he is always there. He really gets the crowd going, and we love to have him.

LM: This team has bold personalities associated with it everywhere you look. Is that why the media gravitates towards it? Believe it or not, there are two NFL teams in New York.

NICOLE: Again, it may have a little to do with Rex Ryan. Everyone says he wants to talk, but he's confident. What coach would start out the season saying he doesn't want his team to go to the Super Bowl? The media just loves to listen. Something intrigues the New York media about the Jets, and we certainly aren't a shy organization. We'll tell you what's on our minds. The more people want to hear, the more we answer.

LM: What can we expect to see in the future from the Flight Crew and Jets?

NICOLE: We actually just found out — and I haven't said these words out loud to anyone yet — but I was chosen to go to the Pro Bowl to represent the Flight Crew this year. We also have the rest of the season to get through. Our coach keeps telling us we are 8-0 this year in terms of our home games, and now we'll get back in the studio and prepare, just like the team will, for Arizona.

Lindsay McCormick (pictured at left) has covered the NFL for ESPN The Magazine and CBS. She is the former host of "The Fan" on Comcast SportsNet, where she was the sideline reporter for the Portland Trail Blazers. And she'll be back right here on The Culture Blog every week with Monday Morning Cheerleader. Plus, stay tuned for Tom Chiarella on Monday Night Football. Also: beer.